Witnessing Gippsland's King Tides

Gippslanders are being asked to contribute photos of king tides to an Australia wide project which aims to raise awareness of rising sea levels. A king tide occurs as part of a natural cycle twice a year.

Even though the king tide is not an effect of global warming or rising sea levels, Elizabeth Resta of Green Cross Australia says it helps to demonstrate what rising sea levels look like.

"Our coasts are always changing so it's important that local communities are empowered to look ahead about the choices we need to make in response," she says.

One of the contributors to the project, David Sutton of the South Gippsland Conservation Society, says more and more people in Gippsland's coastal communities are aware of rising sea levels and global warming.

He was one of the first on the beach at Cape Paterson after the king tide of earlier this year to survey the erosion it caused.

"I think that it's time we started to take note that the sea level is rising and that we need to be aware," he says.

The next king tide occurs along the Gippsland coast on January 31 at 9.30 in the morning.